Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Science, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 251 Bayview Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21224.
Theranostics. 2022 May 24;12(9):4459-4476. doi: 10.7150/thno.72676. eCollection 2022.
Recent attention has focused on the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as biological indicators of health and disease. These small, nano-sized membrane bound vesicles are secreted from cells into the extracellular space and can be readily isolated from bodily fluids. EVs can carry various bioactive molecules as cargo including DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids. These EVs can provide a snapshot of the cell of origin and a window of opportunity to assess normal physiological states as well as pathophysiological states. For EVs to further develop as potential biomarkers of disease, it is important to characterize whether these vesicles and their associated cargo are altered in the context of demographic factors. Here, we summarize the current literature on how demographics such as age, race, and sex affect the levels and cargo of EVs. Age and sex influence both EV cargo and concentration while race studies report differences mostly in EV protein cargo. This review also identifies areas of future research and important considerations for the clinical use of EVs as biomarkers.
最近，人们越来越关注细胞外囊泡（EVs）作为健康和疾病的生物标志物的应用。这些微小的纳米大小的膜结合囊泡由细胞分泌到细胞外空间，并且可以从体液中轻易分离出来。EVs 可以作为货物携带各种生物活性分子，包括 DNA、RNA、蛋白质和脂质。这些 EVs 可以提供原始细胞的快照，并提供评估正常生理状态以及病理生理状态的机会。为了使 EVs 进一步发展成为疾病的潜在生物标志物，重要的是要确定这些囊泡及其相关货物在人口统计学因素的背景下是否发生了改变。在这里，我们总结了当前关于年龄、种族和性别等人口统计学因素如何影响 EV 水平和货物的文献。年龄和性别会影响 EV 货物和浓度，而种族研究报告则主要在 EV 蛋白货物方面存在差异。本综述还确定了未来研究的领域和将 EV 作为生物标志物用于临床的重要考虑因素。
